


A Night of Nightmares and Surprises

by Queen_Aster_Luna



Series: Heirs of Prythian [6]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Rhys has a nightmare, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-09 08:15:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15263214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Aster_Luna/pseuds/Queen_Aster_Luna
Summary: Artemas, the heir of night, wakes up in the middle of the night, because something is definitely going on.





	1. Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This my first fic ever! I hope you like it!  
> It's about Feysand's son Artemas, or Art for short, and mainly Rhys, but Feyre will also show up in later chapters.
> 
> This fic is also posted on my Tumblr @heirs-of-prythian, where you will also find dozens of aesthetics for my next generation of ACoTaR.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own the ACoTaR Series, just my own characters.

In the middle of the night, little Artemas snaps his blue-grey eyes open and stares at the ceiling of his dark room. The whole house is eerily quiet. But something is wrong. Art feels it in the air. Something is going on. So Art scans his room again while sitting up. Clutching his stuffed toy wolf in his arms, the five-year-old goes through everything that could be going on.

The feeling is familiar and Art had definitely felt it before, but he is still to tired to figure it out. Therefore he closes his eyes to concentrate better. And than in a rush it comes to him. 

The raven-haired boy throws his blanket off him and slips out of his bed. 

_He needed to do something. And he needed to get there fast._

With the wolf in his arms, Art pads into the hallway and turns right. After a few seconds he stands in front of a closed door. The feeling of dread is strong and it makes him slightly uncomfortable. Judging from the looks and sounds of it, nothing is wrong but Art knows better. 

Rather than making a physical effort to open the door, Art uses his magic to open the door and take down some of the glamour spell to cover the whole event up. The door slowly opens and reveals a big and dark bedroom. Or to be more specific the master bedroom of the mansion. The windows are open and the curtains fly in the wind, but Art can just barely make them out. The room is unnaturally dark. Art could make out different types of darkness whirling everywhere but mainly on the floor.

After scanning the room, the heir of night focuses on the male on the bed. The male is on his hands and knees, his head pressed into the matress. Breathing fast and as if he was in pain, clutching the blanket.

_**The High Lord of the Night Court is having a nightmare.** _

Despite not liking to see his father in this state and wanting to help him, especially since he is the only one at home right now, Art didn't make an attempt to cross the threshold. The swirling darkness would most likely warn his father for and attack intruders. Not wanting for either to happen, Art stands with both of his feet planted on the floor, and goes over his options in his head. 

Going in like this was risky, since his father could accidentally lash out on him. And Art knows his father would never forgive himself if that ever happens, even if nothing happens to Art. So he scans the room again, searching for something, anything that could help. But Art comes up empty handed after a while. Sighing and and absently petting his toy wolf, Art decides to go with the most safe, but also the most crude option. 

He takes a step back and builds up a wind-shield across the doorframe. After taking a deep breath, Art uses his most scared and hurt voice he has in his repertoire. 

"Daddy! Dad!", he cries out, and indeed sounding like he was in distress and in need of help. 

His Father seems to hear him, since he flinched upon hearing his son sounding scared. But it isn't enough yet to wake him from his nightmare. And realising this, Art ups his game and starts to make crying noises and shouts in panic. 

"DADDY!", Art sobs loudly.

And it works like a charm, his father whirls to the door, already half off the bed. The nightmare seems to be forgotten. He looked panicky, determined and ready to kill whoever is near his son to make him that scared. 

But before Rhys had completely stand up, he spots Art in front of the door. Looking completely fine, as if he hadn't been scared just a few seconds ago. Coming to a stillstand, Rhys' eyes search for any kind of injuries on his son or signs on why his son had just cried out. But he comes up empty. Sighing in relief, he sits back on the bed and rubs his face with his hands.

_His son was fine, Art was okay._

While his father was calming himself, Art hasn't moved an inch. No, he's watching his father like a hawk, not wanting to miss any signs on his father remembering his nightmare. And he doesn't need to wait long for it.

Because just as Rhys wanted to ask Art, why he was there, staring at him and why he keeps his distance, the nightmare comes back in a painful rush. Panic clogs his throat, eyes going wide and frantic, his back stiffens and his whole body starts shaking. 

"Dad", it comes softly from Art, "it's just a nightmare. You are in Velaris. In your room." 

Rhys tries to focus on his son, but his panic still rises. Something was missing, or rather someone. He tried to look around, but just as he starts to do so, his son cuts his thoughts off. 

"Mom's in the Mortal Lands. And you know that, Dad. You brought her there yourself yesterday. She is fine. Nothing is going to happen to her. Or you. Or me.", Art says calmly and smoothingly. Still not moving.

While Art is rattling of calming facts to his father, they never break eye contact. After his breathing normalized, Rhys buried his face into his hands. And Art still hasn't moved, there was still magical darkness everywhere and he isn't taking any chances.

"Dad?", Art calls out, hugging his toy to his chest.  
Lifting his face, Rhys replied looking at his adorable son.  
"What, little moon?", his voice rough and soft, full with love. 

"Can I hug you?" 

"Of course, you know that you can always hug me. Why are you even asking this?", Rhys is slightly confused. Continuing the thought, his eyes widen and his panic starts coming back.

_Did he scared his son because of the nightmare or worse did he hurt him?_

But before Rhys could think himself into panic, Art declares with a pout.

"Your stupid magic is everywhere!" 

And only than Rhys discovers the Darkness whirling in the floor. Sighing in relief again, ~~\- he didn't scared his son -~~ he calls his magic back. And just managed to catch his son, who practically throw himself at him. 

Winding his arms around his father's neck and petting his father's head, Art makes calming noises. Rhys just buries his head into his son's shoulder. They stayed like that for quite a while, slightly swaying back and forth.


	2. Bedtime story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just my own characters!

While hugging his father, Artemas thinks about what he should do next. He knows some people have a hard time falling asleep again after a nightmare. But he doesn't really have any experience on that matter himself, since he hinswlf never really had any scary nightmares. At least not in the definition of what scary should mean. Than just as Rhys' heartbeat slows down, Art gets an idea. He grins and slowly wiggles out of his father's embrace. 

_Oh that should work perfectly._

Feeling his son's breaking the hug, Rhys lifts his head and looks at his cute son. Art's eyes are gleaming with excitement. A loving smile overtakes Rhys' face. He seems to have get lost on the image of his son, because he almost jumps out of his skin, when Art tapped his nose. 

"I'll be back in a second! Don't you dare move!", Art says with a warning. 

And without waiting for his father's response, Art breaks out of the hug completely. Turns around and jumps out of the bed. But just as Art reaches the highest point, he vanishes into the darkness. Rhys shakes his head in amusement at the typical behavior of Art. 

_His little moon is always winnowing. So typical._

Without making a sound, Art lands on his bed in his room. Straighting, Art shapeshifts his eyes into night vision ones. He is not in the mood to light the candles in his room. He prefers to darkness right now.

_Well he always prefers the darkness._

Art needs to be fast, otherwise his father will get worried. So Art concentrates on his massive bookshelf. It almost takes up a entire wall. Art always loved books and bedtime stories, especially the romantic ones. Though he would love to have a horror story as a bedtime story, but both his parents refuse to tell him one. 

_It's not like they are scary to him anyway._

Finally finding what he was searching for, the raven-haired child summons it to him. Art winnows back into his parents bedroom, after turning around and picking some other toys up and taking them with him. 

Rhys was just about to stand up, when his son winnows back and lands beside him. Noticing his father motions and sensing his previous intention, Art narrows his eyes at his father. 

"Dad, I said don't move!", Art exclaims and points at his father while holding his toy wolf in that hand. 

"Sorry, little moon. I just wanted to get more comfortable.", Rhys tries to placate his son. 

"Nuh uh! You were not! You were not! Don't lie!", Art pouts. "You shouldn't lie! Isn't that what you and Mom always tell me!" Art stomps his foot, still pointing at his father.

"How did you even see me move? The whole room is completely dark. Maybe you just imagined it?", Rhys tries to change the subject, while holding in his laughter. 

"I have night vision right now!! Of course I saw that. And no, I would never imagine something as pointless as that.", Art says seemingly aggravated and annoyed. 

He knows his father is trying to hold back a laugh and Art is relieved that his father is already feeling better. 

Rhys watches his son pouting and pointing angrily at him, as well as stomping his foot repeatedly.

_Cauldron, his son is so cute. And so demanding._

At that Rhys starts laughing. But he doesn't laugh for long, because Art pushes the toy wolf into his father's face. Feeling his son letting go of the toy, Rhys catches it quickly and looks at Art. There was something mischievous gleaming in Art's smile and eyes. But he also looks relieved. 

"Here you can have Lila tonight. But only tonight! I want her back in the morning!" Stunned Rhys looks between Art and the toy wolf, Lila. Art rarely shares his favorite toy with anyone.

_Mother, how could he love him even more than he already does._

"Now lay down!" At that Rhys snaps out of his thoughts and stares at his son bewildered. 

"What are yo-...", Rhys starts, but he gets interrupted by Art. "You heard me, Dad! Lay down, please! For me?", Art orders with puppy-eyes. 

Normally Rhys is already weak to his son's demands, but puppy-eyes are his ultimate weakness when it comes to his son (his niece and nephew). So Rhys feels himself already giving in.

"Why?", Rhys asks, while lying down, never taking his eyes off of Art's. But Art remains motionless. Only when Rhys is settled and Art is satisfied with it, makes the heir of night a move. Smiling to himself, Art pads over to his father's side and sits down. 

Only than Rhys notices the book Art is opening in his lap. Wrapping one arm around his son, the High Lord tries to figure out what the Heir is planning to do. Smiling and snuggling closer to his father, the child turns to his father. 

"I am going to read you a bedtime story!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it. Art is a cutie pie, right??
> 
> Again you can find the fic, all of the aesthetics of my next generation and some of their profiles on my Tumblr @heirs-of-prythian or on my personal blog @aster-ria.


	3. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just my own characters.

Surprised, Rhys looks at his son, who already has turned away and now is rearranging the toys he brought with him around him and his father with magic. Art ignores his father's questioning and surprised stare and tries to decide which toy he should cuddle with, since his father has Lila, while placing and switching the toys around on the bed.

It's either his other favorite, the stuffed black panther toy, he loving named Atlas, or his other favorite, a stuffed crescent moon toy, which he got from Hemera and Cadan for his fifth birthday and they jokingly named "Little Artie". Unfortunately for Art, the name stuck. 

While his son is choosing, Rhys finally wakes out of his stupor, and starts laughing softly and shaking his head. 

_Cauldron, his little moon will never stop surprising him._

Grinning, Rhys rolls into his side facing Art and presses his face into his son's back. Art didn't react at first, but then Rhys brings a wing around them, cutting of Art's view on most of his toys. 

"Hey! I wasn't done yet! Dad, move your wing!" Art pouts surprised and slightly annoyed, while wiggling his legs up and down. Laughing, Rhys grins into his son's back.

"Sorry. But I think they are all on their perfect place, little moon." Lifting his head, Rhys kisses the top of Art's head and tightens his hold on him. 

"Fine!" Art huffs and poutsand stops struggling. Than turns his head and looks into his father's eyes. Blue-grey meets violet. Father and son smile softly at each other. Than Rhys moves until his and Art's nose are touching, not breaking eye contact. Suddenly both go in for a move, but Art is faster. 

"First!" Comes it victoriously from Art, after he kissed his father's nose. The happy smile on his beautiful son makes Rhys grin like a fool in love. 

_Mother, his son is everything._

"I love you, Dad" Rhys snaps out of thought and smiles at his son's whispered declaration of love and loving smile. 

"I love you more than anything in this world, Artemas." Rhys whisperes back and kisses Art's forehead. 

Art moves his head up until he could look into his father's eyes and smiles brightly. Rhys moves again until now their foreheads are touching. They stayed a while like that, barely moving, just smiling. 

"Atlas or Little Artie?" 

"What?" Rhys asks bewildered. 

"I can't decide between Atlas and Little Artie." Art elaborates bluntly. Dumbfounded, Rhys rises an eyebrow at his son, but than shakes his head.

"You can have Lila back if you want." Rhys says with a doting smile. 

"No! You have her tonight! No arguing!" Art orders seriously with a playfully stern glare. 

"Fine," Rhys breathes, "but why not both?"

"Because you know that I only like to cuddle with one toy at a time. Too many is too big of a responsibility I don't want to face." Art says likes it's the most obvious thing in the world. But Rhys really should have known better. Quickly deciding, Rhys tries to calm his son down.

"Atlas" 

"Really?" Art frowns, biting his lower lip, thinking, but than shrugging and nodding. "Okay! Good Choice, Dad! I haven't slept with him in a long time." 

After turning around and picking up the panther toy, Art brings it to his chest and hugs it. Feeling satisfied with cuddling Atlas after some time, the Heir turns to the High Lord. 

"Lay back again. I'm starting the bedtime story!" Art orders excited. Not protesting Rhys lays down, not letting go of his son.

"What story are you going to read to me?" Rhys smiles, closing his eyes. "'How a Star finds her true love?', your favorite?" 

"No, You told me the story already today, Dad. How forgettable are you tonight?" Art teases. 

"But normally you refuse to listen to any other story as a bedtime story for almost a year now." Frowning, Rhys opens his eyes and looks at Art. 

"Yeah! But this story is for you, not me! Of course I am not telling you a story, you're tired of hearing!" Art exclaims like his father doesn't know what he is talking about. 

"I'm not tired of hearing it!" Rhys tries to defend himself, but Art cuts him off before he can even continue. 

"Yes, you and Mom are tired of it. I'm neither blind nor stupid!" Art whirls back to face his father and than glares at him. "So I am doing you a favor here! I can always grab the other story book and tell you it!" Art threatens. 

"Okay! Okay! You win. I'm happy with whatever story you choose, little moon. As long as it's not a horror story." Rhys placates, grinning at his son. But inwardly he was glad not to hear that story again. 

_Why did they tell him the story in the first place?_

"Of course not, Dad! I know you don't like them." Art just rolls his eyes. "Now shush!" 

And with that Art starts reading the story. Listening intendly, Rhys closes his eyes again and relaxes into his pillow. 

"Rhys?" The High Lord suddenly hears the High Lady's voice through the bond. 

"Yes, Feyre Darling." Rhys purres to his Mate.

"What happened? You were blocking me, while you were having a nightmare and I couldn't reach you. Are you okay? I also felt your panic spike at one poi-...." Feyre begins asking with worry, but Rhys interrupts her with a amused, but also smoothing voice. He didn't want her to worry unnecessarily. 

"I'm fine now, Darling. And you should know that our son is the most adorable child there is. I wasn't even thinking about the nightmare, because of him. In fact he woke me from it." 

"He woke you from your ....", Feyre repeats slowly, "He's okay, right. You didn't hu-..." 

"No, fortunately I didn't. He was smart about it. Didn't even set one foot into the room until I cleared it from my magic." Rhys interrupts her again, before she gets too worried, his voice full of pride and adoration.

But before either Rhys or Feyre could say anything else, they suddenly hear something, they were not used to hear in their bond.

"You know it's considered rude not to listen when someone is telling you a story!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it ;)


	4. Daemeti

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just my own characters.

Utter silence engulfs the bond, both Rhys and Feyre are too stunned to react, much less able to process what they just heard. 

_No, that could not be! Did they just imagined that?_

Both of them have the same thoughts and are slowly coming out of their shocked states because of them.

_They would have noticed it earlier, wouldn't they? They need to find out._

This thought broke Rhys out of his stupor and is now looking at Art. Who doesn't show any kind of signs that he just did what they think he did. Art hasn't stopped telling the story once. Never paused too long or changed his voice on unnecessary parts or read why slower than he usually did. And yes Rhys had been listening absently the whole time. Art is still telling the story as enthusiastic as he did in the beginning. Rhys narrows his eyes at his son, who sits with his back to him and is getting excited about a scene in the story. 

"Rhys, you heard that too, right?" 

"Don't worry, Darling, I did in fact hear it, too." Rhys answers smoothly, still looking intendly at Art. 

"But even if he has the power to do it, would he, or anyone else for that matter, be able to talk to us in our bond?" Feyre asks slightly anxious.

"If someone is trained enough they usually would be able to that, but I don't think our shields are that easy to penetrate .... Or at least they shouldn't be." Rhys informs her slightly uneasy.

"But then how did our five-year-old son supposedly do it?"

"With a lot of training!" Comes it defiantly and proudly from one side of their bond. 

_Yes, this is definitely Art's voice in their Bond!_

Even when the comment was uttered in their Bond, Art's behavior hasn't changed at all. And Rhys had been intendly watching him the whole time. 

"Artemas?", Feyre asks cautiously. 

"Yes, Mom? What is it?", Right away Art asks back innocently, as if nothing is wrong with him being able to talk in their bond, mind to mind. 

"Little moon?" This time Rhys tries to get his son's attention outside of the bond and asks him out loud. 

The book snaps close and Art turns his head around, smiling innocently at Rhys. Nothing on his face or his body language hints on his "Game", he was obviously playing with his parents. 

"What do you mean with 'a lot of training'?" Rhys questions his son out loud. 

"I mean what I said, Dad. What else could it have meant?" Art answer flippantly in the bond, still smiling innocently at Rhys. 

"And since when did you started this training?" Feyre was obviously not so amused with her son's tone.

"Hmmm, let me think!" Art says out loud and turns his body towards his father. "We have april now, right? Last april I couldn't do it, ..." Art continues mumbling to himself while holding up both of his hands, ticking off his fingers, while also frowning in concentration and slightly sticking out his tongue at the corner of his mouth. But it doesn't take long, before Art's shouts into the bond. 

"10 months and 8 days!" 

Instead of getting rapidly questioned, Art is greeted in silence in the bond. After a while, a stunned and confused "what?" comes weakly from Rhys. But he is regaining his wits together quickly and stares at his mischievously smiling son. 

"You mean to tell us, little moon, that you have discovered your Daemeti power over 10 months ago and you're only telling us this important information now?" High Lord and High Lady are shocked and surprised. 

_Cauldron, their son was a Daemeti! By the mother! And a very powerful one by the looks of it!_

"Well yeah," Art replies like it's no big deal, "but non of you noticed, when I got into your heads!" 

"You got into our heads before?" Feyre is stunned, "Even your father's?" 

Art blinks and than nods, smiling proudly. "It took me some time to find his weak point in his mental-shield. But after I found it, it was pretty easy to get through! I got into your head too, Mom! Yours took me some time, too. I mean, it was easier than Dad's, but also harder than almost everyone else's in the family. Except for Auntie Amren, I never got through her shields!" Art interrupts himself to frown, pout and wiggle his feet in indignation.

"But... But..." Feyre tries and fails to form words, being way too shocked. "We never noticed!" She ends, being mad at herself for not noticing her son using new powers. 

"Why didn't you tell us, Art?" Rhys asks sadly. 

_Did their son lost all his trust in them? What did they do that he wouldn't tell them something as important as that._

Sensing his parents doubts and squirming, Art bites his lower lip, feeling guilty. "Well, in the beginning, I wasn't really sure what I was actually doing myself. I slipped into some minds in Velaris one day. It really confused me a lot." Art starts telling his parents, hanging his head low. "And I didn't think much of it in the beginning, until one day, I slipped subconsciously and accidentally into Auntie Elain's mind and saw things from her eyes and heard her thoughts. But nobody, not even Auntie Elain, noticed. So I tried it on Uncle Cassie." Art huffs and crosses his arms, still squirming under his father's intense stare. 

"And I got through after some difficulties. But I swear, I didn't look at anything, I was in and out in an instant." The last part is protested loudly and defensively by Art. "But Uncle Cassie didn't notice it as well. So I wanted to see how far I could go with it before someone noticed!" 

"So you invaded everybody's mind?" Feyre was not happy about what her son just said. 

"I didn't see anything in anyone. I didn't want to invade their privacy, I just found the weak point in everyone's shields and than got barely inside their head, before I was already out of it. And I only "broke" into everyone's mind once! All the other times I just searched for the weak point and when I found it, touched it a little and than when nobody noticed, I left immediately! You both know I like my privacy, so of course I assumed everybody else likes theirs too!" Art defends himself, pouting and turning red, starting to get louder. His patience was slowly coming to an end. 

Rhys who feels his son's incoming temper tantrum, tries to smooth him. Sighing, he sits up and takes his son into his lap and holds him close. 

"So I am impressed, little moon! You got through my shield on your own? Nobody has ever done that before, much less without me noticing!" Rhys says proudly into his son's hair and kissed the top of Art's head. Art's head immediately shoots up and looks at his father stunned. But than Art smiles and says into the bond. 

"In the beginning it wasn't easy, but than it got way easier to find it! But you were not my hardest challenge. I never got into Auntie Amren's head. I tried it once and she immediately noticed! She wa-.." 

"Amren knows and she didn't tell us?!" Feyre angrily exclaims, interrupting Art. "Why is that Art, did you ask her not to tell?" 

"No I didn't!" It comes defensively from Art. "I so was sure, she would tell, but all she did was ask me some questions and than just gave me some books on the topic. She also warned me to never try to get inside her head again and I never did." 

"Who else knows about this?" Feyre asks slightly defeated.  
"Just Cad and Hemy" Art says nonchalantly.

"Because you told them, right?" Rhys smooths Art's hair down with one hand and rubbing the back with his other. 

"Right!" Art admits proudly, "Why wouldn't I tell them? They are my best friends!" And than yawns and leans his head on his father's chest closing his eyes. 

"Art?"  
"Yes, Dad?"  
"I just want to try something."  
"Sure, but you will not get through my shield! But you can try nontheless." Art yawns, clutching Atlas to his chest. 

"We'll see, little moon, we'll see." Rhys breathes, smiling and laying down with Art in his arms. Art already starts lightly snoring.

But Art had told the truth, his whole shield is a massive, round, wooden-looking dome with no visible weaknesses. 

_How long did he train for him to be on this level?_

After making sure that Art is asleep in his arms, Rhys whispers excited to Feyre through the bond.

"Feyre Darling, our son is more of a genius than we ever thought!" 

Feyre laughs. "Did we really expect something different than this from him. Though I would have liked it more if he would have told us immediately." She could only say lovingly. And than she yawns as well and Rhys also noticed how tired he was. 

The loving couple says their good night's to each other and fall asleep in their respective beds in different ends of Prythian.

**_The High Lord has completely forgotten the nightmare and is now sleeping peacefully with his son in his arms._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end of this story. I hope you liked it. But don't worry there's going to be more! Yay!


End file.
